🌿 Still Stuck After Quitting? This Might Be Why

# 🌿 Still Stuck After Quitting? This Might Be Why **August 1, 2025** ## 🌿 Changing the Narrative — How Affective Liminal Psychology Rewires the Root of Unhealthy Habits - Creating Lasting Change What if the reason you can't "just stop" isn't about the behavior at all? What if it's about a belief you've carried for so long, it feels like truth? This month, we're exploring how Affective Liminal Psychology shifts the focus from willpower to emotional freedom — and helps break the cycle of unhealthy habits at their root. This can be a hard shift for people because we are often told our success is in the behavior change: stop drinking, stop using, stop numbing, stop escaping. But what if focusing solely on the behavior misses the deeper truth? In my work with individuals healing from alcohol dependence, substance use, emotional burnout, and chronic patterns of numbing — whether through substances, food, or distraction — I've seen something powerful: lasting change doesn't begin with behavior; it begins with belief. And that's where Affective Liminal Psychology comes in. ## 🧠 What Is Affective Liminal Psychology? Affective Liminal Psychology (ALP) is a practice rooted in emotional awareness, identity exploration, and belief restructuring. It recognizes that the stories we carry — often from childhood, culture, trauma, and relentless marketing — shape how we see ourselves and what we believe we need in order to survive, feel worthy, or belong. ALP doesn't ask "Why can't you stop?" It asks: "How has this pattern been serving you — even if only temporarily?" "And if it were no longer part of your life… how would you feel?" "What does freedom actually feel like in your body, your mind, your daily life?" "And what beliefs, fears, or stories might still be standing in the way?" This is where the work begins — not with behavior, but with the emotion beneath the behavior. ## 🔁 The Cycle We Get Stuck In So often, unhealthy habits (to alcohol, substances, food, gaming, overworking, etc.) are not about pleasure — they are about protection. People use substances or behaviors not because they're reckless or weak, but because they are trying to manage something bigger: Deep-seated fear of rejection A belief that "I'm not enough" Shame that was never theirs to carry Social conditioning that says alcohol is connection, or control equals safety And when these thoughts go unchallenged, the cycle continues — even if someone is white-knuckling their way through. You can remove the behavior and still feel trapped. ALP helps break that cycle by creating the space to explore what's underneath — gently, compassionately, and without judgment. ## 🌉 Holding a Liminal Space for Change In Affective Liminal Psychology, we call this moment of reflection "liminal space." It's the uncomfortable, in-between place where old beliefs begin to lose their grip, but new ones haven't fully taken hold yet. It's new and uncomfortable - And it's where the real work happens. In this space, individuals learn to: Notice their internal dialogue without defaulting to shame Challenge long-held beliefs that were inherited from childhood, trauma, or society Feel what they've been avoiding — safely, with support Rewire identity from "I am broken" to "I am becoming" This is not about fixing you. It's about freeing you — from outdated thoughts that no longer serve who you are now. ## 💡 Why This Matters When someone is stuck in a cycle of unhealthy habits or self-sabotage, it's easy to focus on behavior: "Just stop." But that often leads to short-term change and long-term frustration. What Affective Liminal Psychology offers is sustainable transformation — because it works at the level of identity and emotion, not just action. It creates a safe place to ask hard questions like: "What have I been taught about what I'm worth?" "What's the truth beneath this craving?" "Is this belief still serving the version of me I'm becoming?" ## 🪞 An Invitation If you're reading this and thinking, "I've tried everything and still feel stuck," — maybe it's not about trying harder. Maybe it's about creating space to finally feel what's been waiting underneath all along. Whether you're navigating an unhealthy habit, changing your relationship with substances, or navigating overwork and burnout, know this - Your beliefs are not fixed. Your identity is not set in stone. Your healing is not behind you — it's unfolding now. And you don't have to do it alone. Want to learn more about how I use Affective Liminal Psychology in my coaching practice? Visit **FreeSpiritsAF.com** or reach out at **[email protected]**.